


Auf Widersehen Bestrafungshügel

by ParanoidAndroid (HomesickAlien)



Category: Cardfight!! Vanguard
Genre: M/M, Not genderbend lol, i heard mahou shoujo and wrote madoka au at the speed of light
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-24
Updated: 2020-01-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:00:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22385275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HomesickAlien/pseuds/ParanoidAndroid
Summary: Have you heard? That rumor about Magical Girls...magia record au
Relationships: Ibuki Kouji/Sendou Aichi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	Auf Widersehen Bestrafungshügel

**Author's Note:**

> lol

That same dream again.

No matter how he tries to shake it from his mind, or how desperately he aims to forget; No matter where he is, what his mission, who he faces in battle… All that’s on his mind…

_A boys face. Maybe a little younger than me…_

Why is that boy always staring at him? The boy with no form nor features, not even a face that he could manage to recognize. No matter how hard he stares at the boy, no matter how deeply into his memories he searches…

Even though he can’t tell who the boy is, he can feel it deep in his heart. The strings of pain strung as the boy watches him. 

_What were we doing, then? What is that… A card in your hand?_

He clutches his fist, wanting to break through the flesh as if his very soul hides the message. But his soul, as well, is little more than a gem within his palm. A beautiful chrysalis that withholds his being within. 

How stupid can a child possibly be? To give up everything, _everything,_ all for a wish he can’t even recall.

_Why can’t I remember._

“Hey, Ibuki…”

What a spiteful, grotesque voice masquerading as a friend. Even though he knows better than anyone it’s the Devil he’s sold his soul to, he speaks in formalities to the one that follows behind him. A shadow of all that’s left of the remanence of his humanity.

“What did you wish for, anyway?”

“You know better than anyone the answer to that.”

A sickly grin forms on the alien creatures face. It’s as though he can’t even hide the pleasure he takes in toying with these humans, such a terrible creature and yet Ibuki feels certain he’s the only one who sees through the facade. Perhaps, it is due to the precious little form he’s taken on their planet… But every word that slips his cheshire grin reeks of his ambition.

Though… It is still an ambition Ibuki can’t say he understands in full, and so… For now, at least, given his circumstances, all he can do is follow along its alien whim.

“I wonder? Was it a wish even you could not seek to remember? Or could it be… That you yourself wished to forget?”

“....Be quiet. I can’t focus.”

His life is always on the line, here. Whether he’s fighting witches or not, his soul will always gather dirt with every step forward he takes. To purify himself… Of course, he has to listen for them, too, but it would seem as though lately there isn’t even a purpose for those who sold their soul.

_Why aren’t there any witches here…._

He can barely hear the sounds of their familiars anymore. Certainly, where there is hope, there must also be despair, and yet…

C̶o̶m̶e̴ ̶h̶e̸r̴e̴.̵

A boy, and now, a voice too? He dismisses the thought entirely, but somehow it irks him that it might trouble him with more venomous temptations yet again. He wonders what he ever did to deserve such a fate. Was I a bad boy in a past life? Did I burden such a sin? Could time really repeat itself endlessly, endlessly until one arrives back at _zero_? 

If this is all it took to achieve Nirvana, he’s certain he would have found peace long ago.

He can hear their voices, the voices of the lost and damned. They are a faint voice, incomprehensible in their agony, but he knows the means to their end. Where one wallows in despair, a witch is born. And where a witch is born…

C̵o̸m̷e̸ ̸h̴e̵r̷e̵.̵ ̸T̴o̴ ̷K̸a̵m̷i̵h̷a̶m̴a̵ ̵C̶i̶t̴y̷.̴

Where one lost soul might find release, that is where he, too, will cleanse his filthy soul. He can feel his drive weaken when the prey is lacking, with no flesh to feast upon his _soul gem_ becomes more and more corrupted. Even if he hasn’t more than intuition to guide him, he listens to the voice crying out to him in his head. 

“Do you think you’ll find what you’re looking for there?”

“Dunno. But I have to try, don’t I?”

“Certainly another vessel must have claimed that territory. Do you think any selfish being such as you humans would give up a spring of life like that?”

“....I don’t know.”

It doesn’t matter, if he has the right or not. It doesn’t matter at all, if someone else has claimed the city, or if there’s nothing there for him, or if he dies trying to find it. Without even knowing why he’s walking in this plane of reality, he takes each crass step forward to the illusion of atonement. That even his soul might be worth redemption, if it’s for this, he’d kill a hundred or more of these devious witches to find a means to an end.

If, somehow, this could lead to unraveling the mystery of his forgotten wish...

P̴l̸e̸a̴s̸e̶.̶ ̸C̷o̸m̶e̴ ̶h̸e̶r̸e̵.̸

He’ll do anything. Anything to comprehend it. Anything, to find meaning in this worthless life.

Without even truly conceiving it, he’d arrived at the station. A train to guide his light to that place— _The place you’re beckoning me…_ He wouldn’t call himself an optimist, but there’s a good feeling, when he arrives. A good feeling, deeply shrouded in despair.

“This is your favorite feeling after all, isn’t it? _Incubator._ ”

It comes and goes by the beat of its own tune. And when Ibuki could most use the assistance, it always abandons him in the pit of the ravaged dogs, a morsel for witches and familiars to devour. That is only true for the weak ones. Ibuki won’t falter even at the most merciless of unequal matchups. Even if… Even if all odds are against him…

He can hear their despair. Their agony. Their pain, muffled by the incomprehensible speech of a witch. _So close… So close, I am…_

Boarding the train unto a far off land, it’s full of so many people with so many unfulfilled wishes. So many branching paths that different people walk in and out of every single day. With different worries, different concerns, different false pretenses that linger over them shoulders; That darken their heart. Slowly, slowly eating away at their minds, until they see only…

“You’re all leaving me no choice, aren’t you?”

The sudden, bombastic display, of a hundred lost souls losing their very will upon that train. Falling into a deep despair, with no hope for awakening, this is Ibuki’s role. To save these fragile living creatures from all that haunts them, to turn the wheels of fate, until his own heart clouds up, and he has nothing left to strive for. Until he learns the secret of the boy, he won’t allow that day to come.

He worries not for those left behind, but jumps straight into the Witch’s labyrinth. A dizzying place that thrives on all the nonsense of their corrupt world. This is the Witch he’s had his eyes on a while now, one he’s followed the confusing trail of in a place far from home. A powerful witch is exactly what he seeks, to find that ill-begotten child that may unravel the mysteries of this upside-down world.

_Of course, I’m in over my head this time, but…_

There’s absolutely nothing he won’t do. To learn that boy’s name.

“So you’ll have me transform, will you…”

Their darkness conforms into one inconceivable mass, almost and yet not quite human, with all it’s bug like familiars crawling like glitches over a computer screen. They don’t seem real, and against Ibuki’s scissor-like blades they truly are nothing but invasive little termites. Nothing more than fodder before the grand climax. He still can’t wholly navigate these aimless caverns, but where there us a Witch, he’ll find the means to end it.

To extend his life, and follow his…

“I won’t allow you to rest in peace.”

He takes his blades to the Witch, one strike after another, but they fail to even pierce the flesh. Even though they appear like paper dolls, he can’t seem to cut into them, and it doesn’t take much for him to realize the difference in their capabilities. 

That nothing he can do can reach them… Is he really this weak after all? Can he survive like this… Or is he just another lamb in the _Incubator’s_ slaughter?

“Is there really nothing I can do…?”

_〜♪〜 Shall I be the one to tell you? 〜♪〜_

Ibuki turns his head swiftly.

“Messiah…!”

Up high off the edge of a cliff, there lies the one he’s been seeking. One much like the Incubator, but an even smaller existence than that. Like a child, a _neo-saviour_ that’s yet tasted the vileness of their world. So innocent and pure, its voice serenades… 

_〜♪〜 If it’s a secret, hold tight my hand. 〜♪〜_

“Finally, I’ve found you…”

One gentle step after another, it leaps down from it’s temple in Paradise. Down, not to cast judgement, but to reveal the truth of this world; To disperse the rumors that cloud a childish will. It’s voice alone is enough to draw the attention of the Witch; She strikes, strikes, and strikes again to no avail. 

For evil has no place here, and Ibuki, as well… 

_〜♪〜 If it’s a secret, I’ll tell it only to you. 〜♪〜_

“You will tell me, won’t you?”

It’s gentle steps leave like petals dancing over the sidewalk, a nurturing sidle against the onslaught of attacks from this Witch. It leaps from the wave of fire, as Ibuki instinctively opens his arms wide to catch the beast; Suddenly, so suddenly, its cryptic words Are exchanged for an image that carves the past into his flesh...

_〜♪〜 Just a little secret… 〜♪〜_

It feels like lightning. A strike of ill fortune that squeezes all the hope out from his lifeless limbs. Suddenly, without any words at all, everything begins to come to pass. His past, his present… He can’t make sense of the convoluted images replaying in his head…

_There’s a boy… I know this boy… I didn’t like this boy…_

The darkened image starts to form a picture. Of a soft smile that never seemed to hold any grudges, a kindness that could never be dirtied. One who would save the world a thousand times over, one who shared all his passions for this place...

_There’s a boy… We were friends… I didn’t trust this boy…_

How often did they waste their days away together like that? Teenagers who would waste their endless numbered days together, without any fears for the future. Childhood friends that might never be separated, who all shared just one thing in common… One simple game that could alter the fabrics of their time; There is something much larger that’s been erased from his mind. 

_There’s a boy… His name is… I gave my life for this boy… Or could it be that…?_

“You shouldn’t be here.”

When Ibuki comes to, seemingly awakening from a dream, a young girl stands before him. Despite her stature, _so young…;_ There’s nothing but pride in her stance. A look of maturity, as though she’s walked this path thousands of times before him… And certainly, she’ll continue a thousand more. 

Something about the look in her eyes strikes his soul. It’s so distant, and so very sad, and yet…

She turns her head from him, instead staring down the enemy that halts her path. This powerful Witch that he were no match for, what could someone so young manage to do against this? An insatiable demon… He, too, knows the rumors.

The rumors of Kamihama City.

The girl stretches out her arm, the gem in her palm alighting a powerful shimmer that he’s never witnessed prior. Her lips move, but the words sound both familiar and foreign to him. She is the one to step forward, to leap into the jaws of death without fear.

“Shine forth, My Avatar! _Blaster Blade!”_

He hasn’t even a moment to process it. _I’ve heard that name before…!_ A blinding light overtakes him, that he can not even be the one to witness the Witch’s final hour. He covers his eyes, trying best to stay from harm's way.

There’s a warrior in the midst of the feverous light. A man covered in armor, that he’s never seen before in his life. Pure white armor with a royal blue light… Even when he couldn’t possibly recall a time they’ve met, his heart feels an indescribably pang of nostalgia. 

The girl raises her hand up to the sky, making the motions of a sword slicing through her enemy at a distance, and the warrior summoned follows her lead. He makes a clean cut right through the Witch, with such a seasoned finesse that Ibuki could never compare to. Without the desire, a million questions swirl around in his head, and endless number of unspoken thoughts left nothing but a seed beneath the sands.

It takes some time for him to clear his head. He’s still not sure he’s fully conscious when the labyrinth fades. But he has to at least manage to stand himself up. Although, this girl does extend her hand out to him, he’s terrible at receiving consolation from others. 

He looks down at his hands like they were stained by mud. There’s no trace of _Messiah_ left behind here. Nor any of the memories it had blessed upon him. It’s as though he’s returned to start.

“What was that?”

He says as he rises, but the girl gives him a reluctant look in response. There’s a long, empty pause between them. A gap like a canyon desperate to be crossed, but Ibuki isn’t one to pry for answers. The truth always reveals itself in time. 

Her voice is a lot smaller, when she speaks to him in private. Amidst the Eden, it’s rather pleasant on the ears. She responds in kind;

“...They are warriors of light from another world. I don’t really understand it myself, but… If I call for them, they respond to me.”

“That was the manifestation of your wish?”

“That’s right. Although, it may be an alteration that affects more than just myself. As of now, I only recall one name…”

“Blaster Blade…?”

“Yes, it sounds nostalgic somehow, doesn’t it?”

She smiles fondly at Ibuki. It’s strange, the whole world seems very disconnected somehow, that it is perhaps the amalgam of many young people's wishes that has tore a rift in time and space altogether. In truth, he may be just as guilty. He can sense the smile of that articulate _Incubator_ as snide as ever.

But for as well adjusted as this girl seems, one who knows the ways of this world, she hasn’t any answers he doesn’t already hold for himself. Just more questions. Always more questions.

“You shouldn’t be here, you know.” She says. “This place is…”

“A place where strong Witches habitate, and many rumors spread.”

Such a mindful eye. She raised her head, although she’s too short to give the allusion of superiority, of respect she probably deserves. But she doesn’t dismiss him outright, in a moment she smirks again, turning her back on him altogether, she says; “I see. If you understand that much, you’ll understand this area in particular is my territory. If you return here, I won’t give you the benefit again.”

She tosses the seed over her shoulder, that Ibuki steps forward to catch it. A small gem, and yet the source of all cleansing life dwells within it. He hates accepting another’s kill, but out of respect he doesn’t voice his complaints. 

“You take it, as a gift. 

Her offer is truly genuine. He can’t read any malice from her even when she pushes against him. In truth, she probably has a better reason to keep Ibuki away than Ibuki has to prod into these matters. He doesn’t deny it, but…

As she gets further and further from earshot, he calls out desperately the last piece of the puzzle he has to fill. 

“Messiah. Have you seen it here?”

“Messiah…?”

“It takes a form similar to the _Incubator,_ but less mature.”

“....The Incubator…” The girl chuckles at the sound of its name. “I suppose there are still things you don’t understand after all…”

She takes her leave silently. A young girl shrouded by mystery…. And a boy who’s memories are only just coming back to him. The _Incubator_ , Messiah, and this city, as well…

With every door that opens, it feels all the more are closing. He feels trapped by it, a million crossroads that lead to nowhere… 

………. _Aichi._

_One million crossroads before him._

He disconnects from reality entirely, on his way back home. Although he’s boarded the train, he feels less like he’s riding at a blinding speed and more like he himself is walking the endless railing above the cityscape.

_One million desperate cries for salvation._

He starts to pay mind to them, to hear them clearly as he edges the tightrope between reality and fantasy. All their wishes, of all these people who gave their life to the Incubator. What’s the most wild fantasy you could imagine? Or do you wish for something small and concise? Is it that you want to pass the test, or hold dear a love that was never meant to be? How selfish, that people feel they are owed something just for existing. It’s only natural if one desires something from the bottom of their hearts, they should be willing to sacrifice everything to achieve that goal.

That boy is the source of those who wish to escape it. That boy is the one spreading a rumor that kills like an infection in the martyr’s brain. That boy is one who believes he, alone, should surpass fate.

That faceless, formless boy walking towards the sun, an Angel among Gods and Men alike…

“My wish…”

Ibuki stands firmly, exaggerated pride that will surely amount to his own downfall. A wish like a monkey’s paw that can never be said properly, coming from a boy who can’t at all express his honest feelings. Who thinks so hard and still acts selfishly, impulsively, that he would rather bear all the burdens of the world than search for another way. A foolish child, the most prime for this foul creature to feast upon.

The Devil offering his most elegant supper party… And Mephisto with his contract.

“Please… End Sendou Aichi’s suffering.”

It’s nothing more, than the delusions of a child.

**Author's Note:**

> comment plz


End file.
